IT is a cloudy morning in Lahore. It is the last day of the month when one can pay one’s electricity bill. There is an endless queue at the bank counter. Irritating boredom has just set in and there seems to be no hope for relief. Suddenly, a youngster breaks the monotony.
Clad in a white T-shirt and a pair of black pants, he arrives and greets an acquaintance waiting for his turn at the second place, hands over his bill to him, sneezes twice, and is on his way back to get his new mobile phone changed. He adjusts his sharp-edged goggles and drives away leaving the long queue of men bitter and astonished. Everyone is here to pay the bill and not stand in line till dusk. The young man does not waste more than two minutes and leaves at a quick pace.
This young man is a college student doing his A levels. He has not been very studious, but sports a pleasing smile.
‘Life is not to be endured, it has to be lived.’ This seems to be the motto of today’s youth. These days, young ones don’t seem to give a hoot about the traditional values that are associated with their culture. To them, what matters is satisfaction at any cost. After a continuous decline in the educational standard and unlimited access to information in the last two decades, the new generation seems to be focused on some other things.
Young Pakistanis can take a shine to anything today. They read, write, surf, hang-out, smoke and party. You can listen to music as varied as heavy metal and salsa when they roam around in different posh areas of the city in their sleek cars. Girls, too, do everything that boys do. However, they still have some semblance of decency and respect in them. As far as future prospects go, they are better judge of time to come than boys.
It has to be said that our educational system has not been able to instil creativity in students. Many students hailing from the middle class take examination as external candidates and achieve unbelievable results. They seem to be eager to know where they stand in the global arena. The purpose of education, after all, should be to train men in the best possible manner for the challenges ahead.
These days, following British and American educational ethos, a new breed of Pakistani youngsters is seen making rather difficult decisions in life. Fascinated by the West, they admire the Western outlook on life. Their opinions are shaped largely by what they read, see and hear.
Movies and numerous channels have brought these young people close to the world that they seem to like. Most students never go abroad and see only one side of the coin. But even this one-sided truth has given them a new sense of independence and the courage to choose. Youngsters, trained by our local educational systems, try to find ways to keep their individuality intact and what is best for them, not in the traditional best way, but in a useful way.
The older generation would rather go for civil service examinations or a career in the armed forces. Only a few would make it to services that meant an aspect that bestowed honour on them and provided them with a certain kind of social standing.
These days, social expectations are giving way to individual aspirations. From civil services and armed forces to different kinds of businesses, the driving force is the individual’s satisfaction. With the advent of information technology and awareness regarding one’s rights and obligations, greater understanding of the working of government machinery and gradual respect for the money, the old order seems to have lost its meaning. What others expect of you is good, but you must also know what you want.
This shift in the attitude of younger generation has resulted in modified manifestations. Fast food chains, mobile phone shops, computer supermarkets, designer clothing and tobacco shops have become the focal point of every young boy and girl. They are occupied with these things all the time. Different kinds of media have also not been slow to respond. Television has shown flexibility but the film industry still fails to present the slice of life our younger generation is fond of. Movies are, therefore, hardly watched and often avoided. Certain artists choose other Asian or Western platform to project their potential to the fullest.
A friend of mine believes that it is difficult for our society to witness any another Patras, Iqbal or Faiz.
Imran, a young man in his late twenties, has quit studying and prefers to join his brothers in their printing business.
One sees youth’s complete detachment from politics. Words like democracy and public opinion seem much out of use in the new lingo. The new generation is determined to see a better Pakistan; who hold its reins does not matter as long as peace and comfort are there.
The way ahead for young Pakistanis is not only difficult, but also turbulent. Not everyone can be an IT expert, and other creative fields seem hard to achieve greatness in. Young writers, for example, find it impossible to get their debut novel published. Such obstructions can cause gaps between the very vital man-to-man communication.
These are signs of the modern times. It’s up to the authorities concerned to look into the matter a tad more seriously.
IT is a cloudy morning in Lahore. It is the last day of the month when one can pay one’s electricity bill. There is an endless queue at the bank counter. Irritating boredom has just set in and there seems to be no hope for relief. Suddenly, a youngster breaks the monotony.
